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Slow cooker Pasta e Fagioli soup is a rich and hearty Italian soup loaded with pasta, vegetables, beans, and lean ground beef. It’s hearty, comforting, and oh so delicious!
Italy knows just the way to my heart! If you love a good Italian soup, try this creamy Zuppa Toscana, this chicken gnocchi, or this classic Italian wedding soup.
A Reader’s Review
This is a great simple recipe for a tasty, filling meal! My husband also really enjoyed it… Going to be a regular at our house. Thanks for this winner!!!
Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli
Today I am sharing one of my favorite soups: Pasta e Fagioli. This is comfort food at its finest! It’s a super hearty, meaty, thick Italian soup loaded with veggies, meat, and beans. But that’s not even the best part! The best of all is that this soup is made in a slow cooker. That means little to no prep time and lots of flavors. This soup simmers low and slow for 8 hours! Let the slow cooker do all the work while you relax and enjoy the aroma in your home.
While your soup is cooking all day, then you have some time to make a few sides to go with it. I love adding a side salad and some breadsticks to dip into this soup. You can also make those recipes ahead of time! Then, when the soup is finished, all you have to do is get it all out, set the table, and dig in! It’s a great meal that your entire family will enjoy.
Ingredients You Need to Make Pasta e Fagioli
This is a thick, rich and hearty soup that is loved by all. So many ingredients but so much flavor in all of them! You will love the combination of vegetables, beans, and pasta. See the recipe card at the bottom of the post for exact measurements.
- Extra virgin olive oil: This adds a hint of seasoning and liquid in the mix.
- Ground beef: When I buy ground beef I try and get it as lean as possible.
- Carrots: The should be freshly peeled and sliced. Canned carrots are little too mushy when simmering them for a long period of time.
- Celery stalks: Slice and dice them to your preference.
- Onion: I like to dice these up a little smaller for kids.
- Crushed tomatoes: Canned tomatoes are best. Some cans are flavored which adds more flavor so get the kind that you prefer.
- Beef broth: This liquid base adds in a delicious flavor.
- Bay leaves: This brings in a strong taste that is so familiar in soups.
- Oregano: The oregano brings more aromatic seasoning to the soup.
- Dried basil: Dried basil has a slight pepper taste but is perfectly strong and sweet.
- Dried thyme: Thyme is a subtle flavor but it is enough for this soup.
- Salt and pepper: Add this to taste (I added 1 tsp salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper)
- Cannelloni beans and red kidney beans: Make sure that these have been drained and rinsed before adding
- Ditalini pasta: This uncooked pasta will be added in at the end.
How to Make Pasta e Fagioli
This soup takes just a bit of prep time and is super easy to throw together. Serve it with a hot, fresh perfect soft, buttery roll for a great dinner meal!
- Brown the ground beef: Add olive oil to a large skillet and add in ground beef. Cook until browned and no longer pink.
- Combine all ingredients: Place the beef in a slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients except for the beans and pasta.
- Cook on low: Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. 30 minutes before serving stir in beans and pasta.
- Season: Season with salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaves before serving.
- Serve: Serve immediately while hot.
Is Pasta e Fagioli a Main Dish or a Side Dish?
This is a common question, and there is no correct answer! This dish is filling enough and has your meats and veggies all in one so you can definitely serve it as a main dish! Add in a Caprese salad and some breadsticks and it can be a meal. Or, you can serve it as an appetizer to the main course! Either way, it’s going to fill you up!
What’s the Difference Between Minestrone Soup and Pasta e Fagioli?
These two soups are often confused with one another! They are both delicious but here are the differences between the two:
- Consistency: The main difference between minestrone soup and pasta e fagioli soup is the meat and the thickness. Minestrone leaves our ground beef and has a thinner consistency.
- Vegetables: They each have vegetables but pasta e fagioli has a few more and a different variety.
How to Store Leftovers
This soup makes fantastic leftovers! It tastes just as good, if not better, the next day!
- In the Refrigerator: Place the soup in an airtight container and put it in your fridge. It will last 3-4 days.
- To Reheat: When you are ready to eat it again then put the soup in a medium sized pot and cook it on medium-high heat on your stove. It will take 5-10 minutes until it’s heated through.
More Italian Recipes to Try
As I said before, Italy really knows the way to my heart! All of the delicious seasonings, soups and pasta are SOO GOOD. It’s hard to pick a favorite! It you are looking for some more delicious tried and true recipes then you will love these that I have rounded up. Serve them family style and it will feel as if you are in Italy! Enjoy!
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Slow Cooker Pasta e Fagioli Soup
Equipment
- Crock-Pot
- Cuisinart Stainless Steel Chopper
- Instant Pot
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 pound lean ground beef
- 2 whole carrots diced
- 4 celery stalks diced
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 (28 ounce can) crushed tomatoes
- 2 (14.5 ounce can) beef broth
- 1 Tablespoon Italian seasoning
- 2 whole bay leaves
- salt and pepper to taste I added 1 tsp salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper
- 1 (15 ounce can) cannellini beans, drained and rinsed
- 1 (15 ounce can) red kidney beans drained and rinsed
- 1 cup ditalini pasta uncooked
Instructions
- Add olive oil to a large skillet and add in ground beef. Cook until browned and no longer pink.
- Place the beef in a slow cooker along with the rest of the ingredients except for the beans and pasta.
- Cook on low for 7-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours. 30 minutes before serving stir in beans and pasta.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste. Discard bay leaves before serving.
- Serve immediately while hot.
Video
Notes
Original Post on October 23, 2015
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This recipe was perfect for me and my family!! I made one crock for us and the other was for my niece and her family when she had a baby. It freezes perfectly!! And it tastes so good. We love it and it has become our favorite soup! Thanks for sharing!!
Hello The reason for the sugar is to reduce the acidic level in the tomatoe. Also the little extra sweet flavor how’s blend the others.
Rachel, I made your Pasta e Fagioli and it’s so very good! Easy and ready in 4 hours in my Instant Pot (Slow Cooker mode) Thank you for so many incredible recipes, all given in your sweet spirit!
Did it on the stove top vs slow cooker (time restrictions), it was a delish and a hit with my teenagers and husband. For sure adding this recipe to our rotation! Thanks for the recipe
I made this today. I ended up having to change UT up just a bit due to lack of kidney beans, so I substitued a can of black beans. Also, had a half green bell pepper left over in drawer from another dish so I also chopped it up and added to the onion and celery. When all thrown together on my stove top Dutch oven it was pretty thick so I added a LG.cup of tomato juice to soup to thin it out.. It’s delicious and lot’s to warm up later. Plys, enough to share with a friend to enjoy too👍
Made this soup for dinner tonight and we loved it. It was wonderful.
Delicious. At even be better than Olive Gardens recipe. I will be making this a lot.
One of my favorites! I add more hamburger in mine and less beans but do everything else exact.
Would ground Turkey work with this?
Yes, that will taste delicious!
Any reason you couldn’t throw in dried beans in with the rest of the ingredients in the beginning instead of canned beans at the end?
Just a quicker way but using dried beans will take a little longer and taste just as great!
I don’t have a crockpot. What is the time & temperature conversation for a cast iron pot?
Set it on low to medium and let it all cook according to the instructions for 1 hour. Add in pasta and stir together.
My family loves this soup. Leftovers freeze very well !
Skipped the red pepper flakes, but left them on the table so I could add them…wow! Fantastic!
I made this last night for dinner as written only adding a half pound of sweet sausage… It was perfect… Yummy… and easy to make! Served it with breadsticks it was a good family meal!
I’m getting ready to make this tomorrow! Can it be made in my 3 quart slow cooker or is this recipe for a 5 quart slow cooker?
It looks Amazingly!!
I would recommend at least a 5 quart slow cooker.
I made this today by halving all the ingredients and cooking in my 3.5 qt slow cooker. It still made so much! I ate a bowl, put a bowl in tupperware to take to work tomorrow, then took the rest (about 3 bowls’ worth) over to my parents’ house. Delicious!
I have made this several times. Making it on the stove today since not that put together this week. Easy, delicious meal after 15 min prep and 45 on the stove. Thanks to the person who mentioned adding Italian sausage! Yum!